Liberian English
This email below is from a Liberian friend of mine in Ghana, one of the few women I knew pretty well (most of my friends there are men), and what follows is a good example of Liberian English - amongst the 20% of the population that is literate. It's good reality check for me, that "proper" grammar isn't a sign of intelligence - this woman is a smart cookie. We used to eat goat soup together, and her 11-year-old son and I would play soccer together - he's fun. Quiet, but fun. I used to call her "Big Pimp Momma" for the little hand she played in hooking up international volunteers with Liberian men (ok, two of us - maybe three or four in the history of the organization).
Things are just so different there. The way she signed her name - "Mercy" (the way I thought she spelled it) is different than her email address name "Mercey." My initial response is, "Well, what's your birth certificate say??" But she probably doesn't have one. So many Liberians I met have no idea when they were born - or sometimes they know the day but not the year. "The Director" of the organization where I volunteered guesses his age by sperm - if he's the age his parents tell him, he fathered a child when he was about 9; but, he thinks he didn't father (and abandon) until about 13, so thinks their estimation is wrong. Even the mothers who enrolled their children at school through us - so many couldn't remember when their children were born. No record made to check, and not all of them live. It's just so different there.
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"Being wanting to get in touch with you"
I have been wanting to get in touch with you. since you samuel to give me you email addressed he has been drilling me up and down, it is only today that he satisfy to give it to me. I miss you a whole lot and all the fun we had together during the time spent with us. How is life? How is you and Dyton? i hope you guys are copping on well . How is you class with you students? I miss you a whole lot and hoping to hearing from you.
I love you and take care of Dyton property(smile).
Things are just so different there. The way she signed her name - "Mercy" (the way I thought she spelled it) is different than her email address name "Mercey." My initial response is, "Well, what's your birth certificate say??" But she probably doesn't have one. So many Liberians I met have no idea when they were born - or sometimes they know the day but not the year. "The Director" of the organization where I volunteered guesses his age by sperm - if he's the age his parents tell him, he fathered a child when he was about 9; but, he thinks he didn't father (and abandon) until about 13, so thinks their estimation is wrong. Even the mothers who enrolled their children at school through us - so many couldn't remember when their children were born. No record made to check, and not all of them live. It's just so different there.
************
"Being wanting to get in touch with you"
I have been wanting to get in touch with you. since you samuel to give me you email addressed he has been drilling me up and down, it is only today that he satisfy to give it to me. I miss you a whole lot and all the fun we had together during the time spent with us. How is life? How is you and Dyton? i hope you guys are copping on well . How is you class with you students? I miss you a whole lot and hoping to hearing from you.
I love you and take care of Dyton property(smile).
posted by NOLA at 2:24 PM
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